Who was the intended audience for the book of Ruth?

Answer 1

A:If the Pentateuch was written by Moses, as is traditionally assumed, his intended audience could have been the Israelites he led through the wilderness for forty years, or as a record for their descendants.

However, there is ample evidence in the Pentateuch that it was not written by Moses, but by different sources over a period of centuries. This means that the intended audience for the final, completed books would have been different to the intended audiences of the various contributions that were brought together to form the books of the Pentateuch.

The Book of Genesis consists of contributions from: the Elohist, writing in the northern kingdom of Israel prior to 722 BCE; the somewhat earlier contributions of the Yahwist, writing in Judah; the contributions of the Priestly Source during the Babylonian Exile; the work of the Redactor who finalised the books sometime after the Return from Exile. The Deuteronomist, who wrote in late monarchical Judah, was the principal author of the Book of Deuteronomy. The Priestly Source wrote Leviticus and much of Numbers.

The intended audience of the Elohist was the Israelites of the northern kingdom.

The intended audience of the Yahwist was the Judahites of the southern kingdom in the early part of the monarchy.

A first redactor combined the work of the Elohist and the Yahwist to create a 'JE' tradition for the people in Judah. No doubt this was influenced by the influx of Israelites fleeing south from the Assyrian army, and the need to incorporate at least some Israelite traditions into the local Yahwist traditions and thereby secure the loyalty of the arriving Israelites.

The intended audience of the Deuteronomist, author of the Book of Deuteronomy, was the people of Judah during the final period of the monarchy. His focus was on the political and theological needs of the monarchy.

The intended audience of the Priestly Source was the Jews, both in Exile and on their return. There was no longer a monarchy and the priestly class had created a theocracy, which needed to justify allegience to the priestly class and laws that enhanced their position in society.

The Redactor finalised the works of his predecessors and created the Pentateuch, or Torah, for all time. He intended the Pentateuch as a statement of faith and history for the Jewish nation.

Answer 2

When written, the audience for the book of Ruth were people of ancient Israel. But over time there were many people who started reading The Bible.

Answer:

Samuel, who according to tradition authored the Book of Ruth, intended it for the Israelite people. It contains various Torah-lessons; and all of our history is intended as a lesson for us (Deuteronomy 32:7).

Answer 3

The intended audience for the book of Ruth was likely the Jewish community during the time it was written. The story focuses on themes of loyalty, faithfulness, and redemption, which would have been relatable and meaningful to the Jewish readers of that era.